Sony Bank Sets 2026 Target for U.S. Dollar Stablecoin as Web3 Strategy Expands

Sony Bank is preparing a major entry into the U.S. digital payments market with a plan to launch a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin as early as fiscal year 2026, according to information reported by Nikkei. 

The move signals a turning point for the bank and the wider Sony Group, as the company works to connect its entertainment divisions, financial services, and emerging Web3 infrastructure into a unified digital ecosystem that supports blockchain-based payments at scale.

The new stablecoin is expected to function as a payment method for U.S. customers buying PlayStation games, anime content, subscriptions, and other digital services. Executives familiar with the initiative told Nikkei that Sony envisions a future where blockchain payments supplement or replace traditional credit-card transactions across its entertainment platforms, lowering processing fees and speeding up digital commerce.

Sony Bank’s plan comes at a moment when stablecoins are gaining more global influence. The U.S. dollar stablecoin market recently surpassed $291 billion in total capitalization, and international regulators continue to examine their role in the broader financial system. As one industry analyst told Nikkei, “Stablecoins are now a core part of digital finance, and companies are moving quickly to secure their place in that market.”

The effort ties closely to Sony’s U.S. customer base, which accounted for more than 30% of the group’s external sales last fiscal year. The company’s leadership believes that a stablecoin supporting cross-platform transactions could strengthen engagement and create a smoother user experience for millions of American players and subscribers.

Laying the Groundwork for U.S. Stablecoin Launch

Sony Bank, the online lending arm of Sony Financial Group, has already taken several steps necessary to operate a stablecoin business in the United States. According to reports, the bank filed an application for a U.S. banking license in October and plans to set up a dedicated subsidiary to manage stablecoin issuance and regulatory compliance.

That application attracted national attention because of its potential impact on the U.S. financial system. On November 6, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) submitted a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) “strongly opposing” the request. 

The organization argued that the proposal would create an uneven environment for smaller institutions, writing that Sony’s approach “is designed to receive the benefits of a U.S. bank charter without becoming subject to the full scope of U.S. bank regulations.”

The ICBA also stated that Sony’s trust-bank model stretched beyond the boundaries of traditional regulated entities, claiming that approval could weaken the long-standing separation between banking and commercial operations.

Sony has not publicly responded to the criticism, but people familiar with the effort told Nikkei that the new subsidiary is intended to bring the stablecoin business fully under U.S. regulatory oversight. For this reason, Sony partnered with Bastion, a U.S.-based stablecoin issuer backed by Coinbase Ventures. Sony’s venture arm also invested in Bastion’s most recent $14.6 million funding round.

Through this collaboration, Sony Bank will use Bastion’s infrastructure for custody, blockchain settlement, and compliance. Bastion is expected to play a central role in ensuring that Sony’s stablecoin meets requirements introduced under the GENIUS Act, which established clearer U.S. rules for issuing, managing, and supervising stablecoins. 

One person involved in the planning said the arrangement “gives Sony the technical baseline needed to build a fully compliant on-chain payment system.”

While the project is designed to enhance Sony’s entertainment services, it also reflects a longer-term shift in Sony Bank’s strategy. Earlier this year, the bank announced that digital assets were becoming essential to emerging financial models. It said blockchain-based products such as wallets, NFT storage tools, and crypto exchanges were becoming “more central to the services customers expect.”

Web3 Expansion Gains Momentum Through BlockBloom & Soneium

Sony Bank’s stablecoin effort is one part of a much broader Web3 initiative. In June, the bank launched a dedicated blockchain and digital-asset division, later named BlockBloom. The unit was created to explore NFT markets, decentralized wallets, crypto exchanges, and other technologies that support new forms of ownership and value transfer.

BlockBloom’s mission is to develop an ecosystem that connects creators, fans, digital collectibles, real-world experiences, and multiple types of currency. The group aims to make it easier for users to move seamlessly between different platforms, whether they are buying game add-ons, collecting NFTs, or accessing premium entertainment content.

“Digital assets are becoming foundational to how fans interact with artists, brands, and services,” Sony Bank stated earlier this year, adding that the next generation of financial products must support a wide range of payment, storage, and engagement tools.

Sony’s Web3 expansion also runs through Soneium, an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain launched on mainnet in January by Sony Block Solutions Labs. Soneium is designed to host applications for creators, fans, communities, and entertainment brands. Developers involved in the project say the network is intended to become “the main blockchain ecosystem for content communities.”

The stablecoin is expected to integrate with both BlockBloom and Soneium, forming a payment layer that links Sony’s entertainment businesses with its financial division. Executives familiar with the plan told Nikkei that Sony wants to build a system where digital goods, currency, and services can interact across all parts of the company’s ecosystem.

This strategy aligns with Sony Financial Group’s spin-off from Sony Group, which was completed in September. The separation was designed to give the financial arm more independence, allowing it to pursue long-term initiatives such as digital finance, Web3 products, and blockchain-based payments. Sources close to the company said the restructuring created “more space for Sony Bank to build ambitious projects without slowing down entertainment operations.”

Global Stablecoin Momentum and Central Asian Developments

Sony Bank’s stablecoin initiative comes as stablecoins gain traction around the world. Uzbekistan, for example, is moving forward with its own strategy to integrate stablecoins into its national payment system. 

According to local publication Kun, the country will launch a regulated sandbox on January 1, 2026, allowing selected programs to test blockchain-based payment systems under oversight from the National Agency for Perspective Projects and the central bank.

The framework will also enable Uzbekistan-based companies to issue tokenized shares and bonds beginning next year. Licensed stock exchanges will host a dedicated platform for trading these instruments. 

Central Bank Chairman, Timur Ishmetov, said in September that research into digital currencies was ongoing, stressing that “crypto activity must be carried out under strict supervision” because of its potential influence on monetary policy.

Uzbekistan is also considering a central bank digital currency, though Ishmetov said it would likely be limited to interbank settlements rather than retail use. At the same time, regulators have tightened their approach to private crypto firms. Earlier this year, the National Agency for Prospective Projects doubled monthly fees for exchanges to roughly $20,015 as part of a broader effort to strengthen compliance.

These developments are part of a larger trend across Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan recently introduced a stablecoin pegged to its national currency and revealed plans for a central bank digital currency and a state-run digital asset reserve. 

Kazakhstan remains the regional leader, having dismantled more than 130 illegal crypto platforms tied to money-laundering operations while advancing a dual strategy that includes a CBDC pilot, a state-backed stablecoin, and a national crypto reserve supported by Binance.

Meanwhile, global stablecoin adoption continues to rise. Data from DefiLlama shows that the combined market cap of USDT and USDC alone now exceeds $260 billion, while the broader stablecoin market has surpassed $306 billion. Standard Chartered issued a warning this year that as much as $1 trillion could flow out of emerging-market banks and into stablecoins by 2028 as adoption accelerates.

Against this backdrop, Sony’s entrance into the sector is attracting attention. If successful, its U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin would become one of the first tokens issued by a major global entertainment and technology company and directly integrated into a consumer ecosystem with tens of millions of active users.

As one executive familiar with the project told Nikkei, “Sony is trying to blend entertainment, payments, and digital assets into one network. A stablecoin is the connective layer that makes that possible.”